St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-25
McConnell's Severe Structures Upon
the Press For It's Reports on I'M
prisoned Fargo Cyprians.
de Intimates That Herman, the 0kOlona
States Nan, Wrote the Original
Sensational Article,
And Says That Every Reporter Sending
il Cut Knew il to be Deliberate and
Malicious Falsehoed.
IF What Was Said We're True the Blame
Would Not Rest Wholly Upon
the Sheriff.
Special Correspondence of the Globe

Special Correspondence of the Globe
FARGO, June 23.-The cases of the
sssoiled doves having created a lively
Interest, the following court literature
is given: Theresa ST. John, having
plead guilty to the charge of keeping
house of ill-fame, the court imposed the
following sentence: The sentence of
the court is that you be Imprisoned in
the county Jail for the period of thirty
DAYS from to-day at u o'clock, noon, and
that you pay 4 fine of S25 and the costs
of this prosecution" The court then
proceeded to say: This gives me the
occasion to speak of some matters that
/ might otherwise have been silent III
regard to. The Argus, the st. Paul Pho
neer Press, the St. Paul GLOBE and the
Minneapolis Tribune of the 10th inst,
Thursday last, contained articles, which
not only reflected upon the officers OF
the court, but upon the treatment of the
prisoners. The st. Paul GLOBE started
out with sympathy for HariotS;' the st.
Paul Pioneer Press Fargo Soiled
Doves; the Minneapolis Tribune by
saying that Fargo WAS getting mad"
Getting mad for whato Among other
things it charges that four women have
small cells. 1T is said that four are
confined in small cells and in the day
time have no other freedom only u small
corridor; that the food is unsatisfactory
and unwholeSOme, and that the jail Is
literally alive with Nermln.' The az
ticle in the Argus is to the SanIe effect.
l do not charge it as emanating from
the Argus, but from these papers that
only currently report it. Ii such were
the fact, then it would be a matter OF
gross inhumanity for me 10 sentence
you to jail. Bat do not believe 1t Is
true. The ones that wrote that article
did not believe it to be true. Every re-
porter who published or wrote that, or
sent it to the Pioneer Press, knew that
it was
DELIBERATB PALSEH0OD
from beginning to end. The Argus
knew it when it published it. w. Ii.
Herman, the notorious 0kolOna states
man, came up here as the representative
of the Argus, As he stated, for the pur-
pose of writing up a sensational article,
and asked me 20 use my influence with
the jailer for the purpose OF getting an
interview with Jtie inmates. | immed1
ately told tie sheriff of that and di-
rected him not 10 let any reporter of the
Argus go into the jail. / desire you to
say now publicly, here in the court
room, that the HadamS who have been
confined heretofore pleaded guilty, and
they were not sentenced upon eX parte
statement. Mr.. Pollock, the district at
torney, did not know what the sentence
would be until after it was pronounced,
and | never had word with Mr..
Benton in my life upon the question of
what is termed the social evil did
not know whether he was in favor of
or | no
Flieve that he and other good citizens
were in favor OF the enforcement of the
ilaw. If the jail is full of vernlin, and if
the sheriff is giving unsatisfactory food
to the prisoners, who is to blame? Is
the Sheriff alone 10 blame? Section $50
OF Criminal Procedure says that the
county commissioners shall look after
these matters. Section go says that the
grand jury shall look after these mat
tiers, and, above all, the statute says that
the judge Of this court shall prescribe
rules to regulate the jail, as TO the clean
illness of prisoners, the classification of
prisoners, their beds, clothing, employ
ment, medical and surgical aid, when
necessary, temperance, instruction, the
supplying of each prisoner
WITH A BIBLE,
the intercourse between prisoners, their
counsel and other persons, and the pun
ishment of prisoners for the violation OF
the rules of the prison, and such other
regulations as the said Judge may deem
necessary to promote the welfare of said
prisoners. II there is any fault to be
found because persons have not been
permitted to interview these inmates Of
the Jail it is with myself. | positively
directed the sheriff not to allow it, and
because OF thdt a great how. is raised in
the community here, not Tor their pun
ishment, but of sympathy, as though
they were mnocent and ;tS though Mr.
Pollock, the district attorney, and Mr..
Benton, the sheriff OF this county, had
committed sonnet terrible outrage against
justice, when they were simply carrying
out what the law says it is in my power
TO do. The Law says may direct i'm
prisonment in the county jail. so
directed rs, and when they are
carrying out chat sentence they
mandates Il tlss law. .i IT, pe arc as
twelve jurors &C over with the court, as
they did yesterday afternoon, and ask
the prisoners questions as to their treat
meht. ana they reply that if there are
any reports Of their bad treatment they
must come from the outSide-that they
certainly do not come from the inside,
then it y whispered that because Mr..
sheriff. has summoned these Jurors,
they are n0t competent to give teSti-
nlonY. Upon the contrary, there has
not been special petit juror summoned
by the sheriff ut this term of court.
They lave all been drawn from the box
regularly and are now in attendance
here. They went over not only with
the court, but with other officers and cit
liens OF the city.
TIE RESPONSIBILITY
is not with the officers of the court, and
there is no need OF the Argus or any
citizen charging Mr.. Benton or Mr.. Pol
lock with the prostitution of their office.
They are simply carrying out the letter
of the law. and that is that these ladies
be confined III the Jail for thirty days,
and when they are confined it means
that they are 10 be treated as prisoners
treated as men are treated-treated as
other prisoners are treated, and they
must expect only such treatment as
prisoners receive. The law says that
l shall look fnto this matter, and to per-
sons who wish TO attack tho district at
torney and the sheriff. and think they
are screening nae, say, whether they
be friend or Zoe, that stand here as the
representative of this court. and
/ do not propose that persons, simply
because they profess to be friends of
mine, shall thus covertly attack me in
the discharge of my duty. 1t is hard for
persons in the discharge Of official duty
TO have criticism cast upon their actions,
but when they have consciousness
that what they have done has been with
out malice and i'll an attempt to uphold
the laws, l do not know that such officer
ought to complain. OF course criticisms
will be made upon officers. Criticisms
ARE made upon the actions and course of
public officers every day. 1t is enough
for the court TO bear to be stabbed by the
knife of its enemies, but when it is in